This invention relates to headers for electronic circuits in general and in particular to a multi-part header. A prior header and housing assembly is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,533,188, which is assigned to the Assignee of the present invention. This header is designed to receive leads attached to a flexible circuit which can be folded to provide a compact package of the electronic parts. The header is utilized to locate the leads that are attached to the flexible circuit, so the leads can be received in a socket or a mother board.
With the circuit board folded and leads inserted in the header, access to many of the circuit components is greatly restricted. In order to gain access to all of the components on the flexible circuit, it is necessary to remove the leads from the header. Insertion and removal of the leads in the header entail risk of damage to the connection of the leads to the circuit. It is therefore desirable to provide a header that is both capable of maintaining alignment of the leads while permitting full access to the components of the flexible circuit without removing the leads from the header.